VMware Brings LG Smartphones Into The Enterprise

VMware has been around mostly in the desktopsoftware field, but now the company is branching out, and can you blame them? The mobile space is hotter than ever, and that's not going to change anytime soon. Today, VMware has announced a partnership with LG to help enterprises of all sizes improve security and control of sensitive corporate data while enabling more flexible access via employee-owned mobile devices.

Basically, this is a way to help employees use more mobile devices (rather than the standard-issue BlackBerry or something of that sort), but of course the LG version is meant to help LG to increase its footprint in the enterprise sector while providing more options for both consumer and business customers. This new technology will enable users to adopt the mobile device of their choice, while allowing corporate IT departments to manage sensitive data on those devices with enterprise-level security and compliance.

Initial efforts include enabling LG smartphones to securely run a work account in isolation from a user's personal account on a single mobile device. With this feature, LG mobile users will be able to safely carry a single device for both personal and work use. Solutions using mobile virtualization technology from VMware are expected to be available on LG smartphones in 2011.

This kind of thinking is what corporate workers have been waiting for. People generally prefer to use their own smartphone, but oftentimes they don't cut it for security purposes. Integrating more security into everyday phones would allow users to take their own phone to work and check their work e-mail on it, and it sounds like an awesome compromise to us.

Using end user computing technology from VMware, LG is aiming to
increase its footprint in the enterprise sector while providing more
options for both consumer and business customers. This new technology
will enable users to adopt the mobile device of their choice, while
allowing corporate IT departments to manage sensitive data on those
devices with enterprise-level security and compliance.

Initial efforts include enabling LG smartphones to securely run a work
account in isolation from a user's personal account on a single mobile
device. With this feature, LG mobile users will be able to safely carry a
single device for both personal and work use. Solutions using mobile
virtualization technology from VMware are expected to be available on LG
smartphones in 2011.

"The enterprise and SMB markets are key areas of focus for LG," said Ki
S. Kim, Vice President of Global Enterprise Solutions at LG Electronics
Mobile Communications Company. "Our partnership with VMware is part of
LG's global strategy to develop smart mobile devices for businesses.
Enterprise IT organizations are looking for a way to embrace the growing
trend of employee-owned mobile devices at work, while still maintaining
control over their corporate data. VMware's industry leadership
provides a platform for LG to extend its presence in enterprises and
deliver compelling solutions that address the challenges raised by the
convergence of IT and mobile communications."

Enterprises Embrace Employee Owned Mobile Devices
More than ever, organizations are dealing with two fundamental
client-computing pain points – providing secure data access to an
increasing number of mobile users, and managing the burgeoning diversity
of data, applications and client devices within the enterprise.
Establishing a new end user computing model to address these points is a
fundamental component the VMware "IT as a Service" vision.

"As workforces become more mobile, our customers increasingly view
today's new breed of mobile devices as mission critical tools for their
business," said Dr. Stephen Herrod, CTO and senior vice president of
R&D, VMware. "The reality is that today's employee-owned mobile
devices are often more advanced than corporate offerings. As a result,
the agile enterprise is looking to embrace new end user computing models
that allow users to work on the devices they love. We are excited to
work with LG to develop mobile solutions that address the end user
desire for affinity and the enterprise desire for manageability,
security and control."

"Smartphones are driving demand for an enhanced mobile experience as
business- specific devices lose appeal and employees look to use their
personal devices at work," said Stacy Crook, senior analyst for IDC's
Mobile Enterprise research programs. "For the business market, the
individual-liable, employee-owned model is here to stay. Savvy companies
will embrace the trend and procure the necessary means to ensure that
all devices with sensitive information are managed properly."

Humphrey Chen, executive director of New Technologies, Verizon Wireless
added, "We're seeing interest from Verizon Wireless customers in the
area of mobile personas, which allow a personal mobile phone to be
leveraged in a professional setting in a secure way that is IT-approved.
The kind of virtualization VMware offers helps to make this happen, and
we're evaluating ways to help our customers achieve this.